[barbershop]

What do y'all use as mobile phone os ?

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[Grokly]

90% android 
Maybe 9% IOS 
and 1% like
  https://grapheneos.org/  or https://calyxos.org/

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[barbershop]

90% android 
Maybe 9% IOS 
and 1% like
  https://grapheneos.org/  or https://calyxos.org/

why do you split them ? 
is calyx strong to use everyday ?

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[Grokly]

I got some  more info from AI 


They’re “split” because they come from different teams with different goals and security philosophies. Yes, CalyxOS is strong enough for daily use—but GrapheneOS is objectively stricter and more hardened.

---

1) Why GrapheneOS and CalyxOS are separate projects
They are not forks of each other in a simple way. They diverged because of ideology + technical direction.
GrapheneOS philosophy
Focus: maximum security + minimal attack surface
Key points:

• No Google Play by default (optional sandboxed Play Services)
  
• Strong memory hardening, exploit mitigations, SELinux tuning
  
• Very strict security model
  
• Minimal convenience features if they weaken security
  
• Pixel-only devices (for hardware security reasons)
  

Think of it as:
“Security first, even if usability suffers.”

---

CalyxOS philosophy
Focus: privacy + usability balance
Key points:

• MicroG included by default (Google compatibility without Google)
  
• Easier app compatibility
  
• More user-friendly defaults
  
• Less aggressive hardening than GrapheneOS
  
• Supports more devices (not only Pixel)
  

Think of it as:
“Privacy-friendly Android that normal people can use daily.”

---

2) Is CalyxOS strong enough for everyday use?
Yes — for most people.
CalyxOS is:

• More private than stock Android
  
• More secure than typical custom ROMs
  
• Stable enough for daily driver
  
• Compatible with banking apps, social apps, etc.
  

Security level comparison (rough):
OS
Security
Privacy
UsabilityStock Android
⭐⭐
⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CalyxOS
⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐
GrapheneOS
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐
If you are:

• normal user → CalyxOS is great
  
• journalist / activist / high-risk → GrapheneOS
  
• paranoid / OPSEC heavy → GrapheneOS only
  

---

3) Real technical difference (not marketing)
GrapheneOS adds:

• Hardened malloc / memory allocator
  
• Exploit protection (hardened libc, stack protections, etc.)
  
• Strict permission isolation
  
• Per-app network + sensor toggles
  
• Better sandboxing of Google Play
  
• Attack surface reduction
  

CalyxOS adds:

• MicroG integration (less secure but more compatible)
  
• Firewall + DNS privacy by default
  
• Seedvault backups
  
• Tor / VPN friendly defaults
  
• Less strict SELinux policies
  

Important truth:
MicroG = convenience gain, security loss (relative to GrapheneOS).

---

4) Which one should YOU choose?
Choose GrapheneOS if:

• You care about OPSEC, malware, zero-days
  
• You can live without some Google-dependent apps
  
• You want the most hardened Android possible
  

Choose CalyxOS if:

• You want privacy but normal phone experience
  
• You need app compatibility
  
• You don’t want constant friction
  

---

5) Brutally honest verdict
If Android security was military levels:

• GrapheneOS = спецназ / Tier-1 hardening
  
• CalyxOS = professional civilian security
  
• Stock Android = basic police gear
  

CalyxOS is not weak.
It’s just not extreme.

---

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[Jacob_movanski]

has anyone tried to install like ubuntu or Debian on an old phone?

[magiyarorsagi]

has anyone tried to install like ubuntu or Debian on an old phone?

That definitely works on Android phones, and I've heard that there's some experimentation on ancient iphone 7s too 

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[exxxiko]

Yes , GrapheneOS is the must, soon we will have no choice anymore

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[Hectarox]

What do y'all use as mobile phone os ?

I don't know if that's the question but I've went with EvolutionX rom
I bought an old xiaomi for like 150€ and they bundle it with spyware and ads, and I wanted something reliable, light and highly customizable so I now use EvoX which is based on lineage
I hate how graphene behaves with rooting etc, it's really if u care about privacy and nothing else, which is not my point

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